More good news about niacin....

Today's Post: Monday, 12-28-2009

Last Weds, 12-23, Reuters online health news had this headline.:

“ "Good" cholesterol less protective with diabetes “

A German study found that HDL in most diabetic people was “substantially” less protective than in normal people. (That’s one of the many reasons diabetic people have more risk of heart disease and heart attacks.)

The GOOD news was that by giving some of the diabetics niacin, which increases HDL levels, apparently not only increased the HDL levels in the diabetics who took it; but in these diabetics it also apparently restored their HDL they already had to full potency.

The story noted that “HDL lowers heart risks because it clears "bad" low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, away from arteries” -- AND some studies found, “HDL protects arteries by promoting cell healing and repair.”

In this study, the researchers found the protective benefits on blood vessels were "substantially impaired" in the HDL from the diabetics they studied.

Then they gave half the diabetics what sounds like high enough levels of niacin to make quite a difference in their HDL, LDL, & triglycerides.

After 3 months, the diabetics who got the niacin did have increased HDL levels, AND the lab testing found the protective functions of HDL were restored and the diabetics had improved vascular function too.

This study has some interesting conclusions.

1. It shows that niacin is unusually protective for the health of your heart and blood vessels. That has already been shown. Increasing HDL while lowering LDL AND triglycerides as niacin does will do it. (So will regular exercise AND also eating less junky fats and sugars and high glycemic foods. That combination also tends to turn down or turn off diabetes.)

2. But this study also found that it was critically important for diabetics to get niacin if they wanted to avoid cardiovascular disease. The even better news is that the diabetics who got the niacin, were about as well protected as non-diabetic people. Given how many people today have type 2 diabetes or too high blood sugar almost that bad, this is VERY important news.

3. Since smokers have similar problems because smoking or exposure to second hand smoke also lowers HDL levels and makes what remains less protective, it may be that having smokers and recently quit smokers who are recovering their health take niacin may also at least partly protect them from heart attacks.

4. The results of this study also suggest it may be even more important for heart health to help people who have bad eating and exercise habits and who have blood sugar levels approaching the diabetic range to learn to eat better and begin regular exercise than doctors have previously known.

(You have to measure the levels of sugar in your blood to see if this is happening to you. So, get your fasting glucose and HBA1C tested.

If your fasting glucose is 100 or more or your HBA1C is 5.8 or 5.9, you should take action immediately.

If you don’t, you may soon be over 120 on fasting glucose and 6.0 on your HB1C and become diabetic with all the health problems and added medical costs that come with that.)